The Perfect Fall Weekend
by Oneturtledove
Summary: Ever wondered about that huge gap in the fall of 1999? Ever wondered why Mulder and Scully say "Merry Christmas" on New Years Eve? All these questions and more, answered right here. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine

Spoilers: Takes place maybe between Hungry and Milennium. There's a big gap there that needs to be filled.

A/N: I love fall. This will have more chapters as soon as I decide I actually want to sit down and write stuff. Happy Nine Year (maybe not to the day...) Friends Anniversary, Jessi! Love you. S.O.D.A!

* * *

Friday, 6:42 p.m.

"Hello?"

"Scully, it's me."

A sigh.

"Mulder, I don't ask for much. A Danish if you're already heading out for one. A coffee refill when you go to the break room. The window seat occasionally. But right now I am begging and pleading with you to not drag me out on some case. It's Friday and I'm tired and I really just want to relax tonight."

"That's not what I was calling for."

"Oh. Okay, what's up?"

"I just wanted to check on you. You didn't look so good today."

"I'm tired," she admitted finally. "That last case really took it out of me and I haven't caught up on sleep yet."

"Anything I can do?"

"Promise me we're not going anywhere for a while."

"I promise. What are you up to?"

"Uh... I'm taking a bubble bath."

He laughed.

"What?" she asked, indignant.

"That's so girly."

"Mulder, news flash, I'm a girl."

"Yes, but you're also freakishly strong, which makes one think that bubble bathing is not your style."

"Well it is. It's relaxing. I would tell you to try it, but I think you would break bones trying to get into the tub."

"What are you trying to say?"

"That you're accident prone. Also that you're 6 feet tall and tubs are like 4 feet long. Not a good combination."

"I guess not."

"Maybe you could get a hot tub in your apartment."

"Scully, do I look like Cosmo Kramer to you?"

"Sometimes when you first wake up, yeah."

He chuckled.

"You're spot on tonight."

"Yeah, but only because you're letting me get a word in edge-wise."

They were quiet for a while.

"So what else do you have planned for this night of relaxing?"

"Cookies. Reading in bed. Basically, that's all I've thought of so far."

"Well I'll leave you to it then."

"You don't have to hang up, Mulder."

"But... it's Friday. And you're busy."

"I'm never too busy for you," she said quickly, willing him not to hang up.

"Oh you're not?"

"Not intentionally anyway. I enjoy your company, Mulder. I hope you know that."

"I had an inkling."

"So what are you up to tonight?"

"I was going to go over and see the gunmen, but apparently our dapper friend Frohike has never had the chicken pox up until yesterday. I've had the chicken pox, twice, but he says he doesn't want anyone looking at him because he's hideous."

"What is it with the _Seinfeld_ jokes tonight, and since when is Frohike not hideous?"

"Scully you're so mean."

"He looks like a lawn gnome and a badger had a baby."

"Scully!" he exclaimed, chuckling.

"I'm sorry. My mind goes weird places when I'm in that... whatever you call their habitat. It's like a contact high only without the pretty colors."

He was laughing loudly now, not solely because of what she was saying, but for the simple fact that it was her saying it.

"Scully, I've got to catch you in this mood more often."

"What mood?"

"You're snarky and... I don't know but I don't think I have ever witnessed you like this."

"I try not to let it out of the house."

He shook his head.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I hadn't thought about it? Why?"

"Because, I was thinking."

"Great."

"This is the last weekend of the apple picking season, and I was thinking that there's nothing better than a homemade apple pie on a Saturday night."

"Mulder, do you want me to make you a pie?"

"No, I want to take you apple picking and then help you make pie."

"I see. Well, if you promise not to start a flour fight, you've got yourself a deal."

"I promise. Can I pick you up at 10?"

"Sounds good."


	2. Chapter 2

See chapter one for all that usual stuff.

A/N: I have no excuse for the delay except my recently diagnosed condition of I'mreallylazyitis. It's a real problem. Sorry.

* * *

10:17. Her partner was never late getting to the airport or a crime scene. Never. But once all things paranormal were out of the equation, it would be a miracle if he showed up at all. Scully sighed and sat down on the couch, turning the TV on to find out what the weather was going to do. Mulder was likely to have made plans for a day outside without first checking to see if it was going to rain. He never seemed to think things through, at least not to her satisfaction. And to call and assume the she didn't have any plans for the weekend was just selfish. Like she couldn't do anything without him.

She sighed again. She wasn't being fair. They'd been through a lot in the past 7 years. They'd been through a lot in the past 7 months. He always had her back, and most of the time he had her best interests at heart. He deserved the benefit of the doubt.

There was a knock on the door and she ran a hand through her hair before answering.

"Sorry I'm late. I stopped to get coffee and the line was about 50 miles long. You're mad."

"I'm not mad, I'm perturbed."

"I tend to do that to people. Sorry."

"It's okay. Let's go."

She locked the door behind them and followed him out to his car. The radio was tuned to her favorite station, and she sighed, turning it off.

"Okay Mulder, what's going on?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The coffee and the radio and the phone call last night and the chocolate the other day. What's wrong?"

"I'm just... being nice."

"I realize that, but why all the sudden?"

"I went to reform school. Didn't I tell you?"

"Mulder be serious. Is there something going on that I need to know about? Are you trying to butter me up?"

"No, I'm not."

"What's going on?"

He sighed.

"I just feel like we're not connected anymore."

"Why? We've been getting along just fine."

"I know, but we've barely been talking. And I mean real conversations. Sometimes I look at you and I have no idea what you're thinking."

"Mulder, for the last time, the ability to read minds is not neurological milestone."

"You know what I mean."

"Okay, so things have been a little disjointed lately, but that's to be expected. Maybe it's the seven year itch, or maybe we've been through a lot that we never talked about or maybe it's just one of those things. But we're not fighting or hating each other or avoiding each other, so I think we're doing pretty darn well."

"You know I love you, right?"

"Oh gag."

"I'm being serious."

"Yeah, I know you love me. And I love you too. Sometimes it's really hard, but I manage to do it."

He pushed her gently and she smiled.

"So, how many apples do you think we should get?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know. About 2 buckets probably."

"That's a lot for one pie."

"I know, but apples cook down a lot. Besides, I'm not going to have fresh apples and not make apple crisp too."

"So your real motivation is to make me fat."

"Bingo."

They were quiet for a while.

"Scully can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

""If you got married, could you live in a place like the Falls?"

"Arcadia? Probably not."

"Why?"

"Because. Two people don't need a house that big. I like rules, but the ones they had there would infringe on the way I live. I think it would drive me nuts. And I wouldn't even be able to have you come over and visit. You'd cause great destruction."

"We'd still be friends?"

"Of course we would. Why not?"

"Because. If I was married and my wife had a friend like me… I don't think I would look on that too kindly."

"A friend like you?" she clarified, lifting an eyebrow.

"We spend a lot of time together. More time than most married couples."

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that."

"Yeah."

"So we couldn't be friends if one of us got married?"

"Nope."

"Well… I don't have any prospects, but thanks for depressing me."

He chuckled.

"Sorry. But if and when you find someone, you won't miss me anyway."

"What are you talking about? Of course I would."

"You wouldn't know I was gone," he said, hoping his tone of voice would keep the conversation light. Her face told him that his tone wasn't working.

"Mulder, stop talking like that. You're making me sad."

"Well…"

"I don't want to hear it."

"I'm just calling it like I see it."

She scowled in his direction.

"Are you mad?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to talk about this."

"Ok."

"Why are you so sure I would forget you?" she asked suddenly after a long pause.

"Scully, it was theoretical."

"Don't all theories have their basis in reality?"

He was quiet, not certain if he should speak his mind or let her keep questioning him.

"Fine," she grumped, crossing her arms and staring out the window.

"Don't be mad."

"It's okay. I'll forget about it eventually."

"Scully," he chuckled, reaching over to touch her hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't think this would bother you so much."

"How would you feel if you were on my side of the conversation?"

"Okay, I get it."

"You always have a place in my life. I try to make that clear to you, but I guess I wasn't doing a good job."

"Scully, come on. I know all of that, I promise."

"Swear?"

"Cross my heart."

"Okay. But we're not allowed to talk about this anymore."

"It's a deal. I'm sorry for upsetting you."

"Why do we always have to have conversations like this in the car where I can't escape?"

"Because you can't escape."

"Just so you know, you're the most difficult person I have ever met in my life."

"Isn't it rewarding to deal with something difficult?"

"Jury's still out on that and it doesn't look good for you, buddy."

He smiled and laced his fingers in with hers and they drove on in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So now I know exactly where this story is going, how it will get there, and how it will end. I saw it in a dream. And I'm not entirely joking either.

* * *

After arriving at the farm and choosing two medium sized buckets, Mulder and Scully headed towards the apple orchard. There was a short debate over which tree to pick, but in the end they chose one in the far corner of the orchard. Mulder climbed up on the ladder and tossed apples down to Scully, who looked them over for worm holes before putting them in the buckets.

"Hey Scully?"

"Yeah?"

"When you were a kid, how often was your dad gone?"

She sighed and looked an apple over as she thought.

"A couple of months a year. Sometimes more. Why?"

"Well, it's just that it seems that you were very close to him, and I figured that being a captain he would have had to be out to sea a lot. I was just wondering how you even got to know him."

"He wrote us letters when he was gone. One for each of us, as often as he could. It probably wasn't the best, but it was more than most kids get."

"Do you ever wish he'd had a different job?"

"Maybe when I was younger. But he loved what he did. It wouldn't have been fair to wish something else on him."

He was quiet for a while, handing her a few apples until the first bucket filled up.

"What was it like before your sister was gone?"

A long sigh and three apples came before he answered.

"It was the all-American family. Barbeques and baseball and roast beef for dinner. My mom wore an apron and my dad smiled. We went on vacations. Spent time together. My parents never fought. It was the life every kid wants."

"I'm sorry you lost it."

"Me too. But hey, you never know. Maybe it'll happen again in my next life."

"Maybe."

He climbed down the ladder and sat next to her on the ground.

"Scully, you think we're messed up?"

"Relative to who?"

"The rest of the world."

She chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah. Probably."

"We should do this more often."

"What?"

"Not work."

"Okay. Deal."

"Come on, let's get out of here. I want some pie."

She smiled as he helped her up from the ground. She didn't mind that he kept a hold on her hand as they walked.

* * *

"I think you overestimated on the apples, Scully," Mulder commented once the apples were peeled and cut and put into the pie pan.

"Well, you were very good at not wasting."

"What are we going to do with an extra bucket of apples?"

"When life gives you apples, make... apple juice?"

He chuckled.

"Think your mom could use them?"

"Hmm... maybe. I'll call and ask her."

"Okay. So what do we do now?"

"We put the pie in the oven, wait an hour, take the pie out of the oven."

"An hour? What are we going to do for an hour?"

"I am going to lie down on the couch."

"Tired?"

"You wouldn't believe how much."

"I should have let you sleep in."

"I did sleep in. I just didn't sleep well."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine," she answered, closing the pie in the oven and setting the timer. "Just one of those nights, you know?"

"Yeah, I've had my fair share."

She smiled and went out to the living room, lying down on the couch with a sigh.

"Dude," Mulder chuckled. "You didn't even take your shoes off."

She laughed and buried her face in the couch cushions.

"I don't seem to care."

He sighed and pulled her shoes off, setting them next to the door. She handed him the remote and sat up.

"Think there's anything good on?"

"You've got ESPN. We're bound to find something worthwhile."

She yawned as he sat next to her, then rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"Why haven't you been sleeping?"

"I said I didn't sleep well last night."

"You haven't been sleeping well for weeks. I can see it in your eyes."

"Then stop looking at them."

"Scully."

"What?"

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Because it's going out of style," she mumbled.

He cleared his throat pointedly.

"I don't know, Mulder. I just can't sleep."

"A lot on your mind?"

"Maybe. But I don't want to talk about it right now, okay?"

"Alright. Go to sleep."

"Mulder?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

* * *

"What do you want for dinner, Mulder?"

"You don't have to make me dinner, Scully. You already put up with me all day, _and_ made pie."

"I'll put that on my résumé for sainthood. Now really, what do you want?"

"I can just run out and grab something-"

"I'm feeding you. Get used to it."

"Okay, fine."

"I have hamburger and chicken and steak..."

"Steak sounds good."

"I also have some shrimp I can fry up. I know you like that on your steak."

"Trying to butter me up?"

"No, I just like to take care of you sometimes."

"You take care of me all the time. You practically have to tie my shoes."

"Only when you forget to double knot them," she said with a grin. "Mulder, you're not incapable, and I don't do everything for you. As it stands I think we're pretty even as far as taking care of each other."

"You rarely let me take care of you."

"Mulder, you're the only person I allow to take care of me. Even though it doesn't happen very often."

He sighed and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head.

"I do kind of like it when you let me take care of you."

"Ug, are you referring to the Great Cold and Flu incident of 1998? Because that was not pretty, my friend."

"You blow your nose cute."

"Shut up."

She wiggled out of his arms and headed for the kitchen, Mulder following close behind.

"Can I at least help you?"

"Do you want to make the salad?"

"You're making me have salad with this? Why?"

"Because I care about you and I want you to live a long life. I don't want to have to boycott your funeral."

"I don't want to have to boycott yours either. Maybe we should both get cryogenically preserved."

"Sounds good. They'll have to put our holding tanks far away from each other."

"Why?"

"Because even frozen, we're going to bicker."

"I'll just let you win."

She smiled and took the steak out of the fridge.

"So Scully, what exactly do I put in a salad?"

* * *

"I think I just made a big mistake," Scully commented as Mulder returned to the couch from the bathroom.

"How's that?"

"I called my mom."

"Man your battle stations."

"And I asked her if she wanted some apples."

"I think I know where this is going."

"And she demands that we join her for lunch tomorrow at noon."

"Nice work."

"I'm sorry. You know how she is. I couldn't say no. I even tried to save you by telling her that you were out of town, but I had already told her about the apples... She might wash my mouth out with soap for lying."

"Well at least I'll get lunch and a show."

"Shut up," she giggled.

"I do like your mom, you know."

"Yeah I know. She's just so... overbearing and nosey and... a little tactless."

"Tactless, yes. Although she is the only person in the world that can get away with saying the things she says."

"Well if you wouldn't encourage her..."

"How do I encourage her?"

"You smile like a lunatic and nod like she's got a point or something. The best defense is to roll your eyes and scoff and sometimes go "Mooooooom!" Believe me it works."

"Then why is she still doing it to you?"

"Because in your presence it's just too hard to resist."

"Oh is it?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"I totally set myself up for that, didn't I?"

"Completely."

She just rolled her eyes and turned back to the TV.

"Scully you can flip through the channels all you want. It's Saturday night and nothing is on."

"It's only 7, there's still hope."

"I admire your determination, but I think I might have to go out and rent something."

"Okay, just make sure it's something I would approve of."

He rolled his eyes and headed for the door.

"Popcorn too?" she asked, glancing his way.

"You're hungry again? Already?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, popcorn too," he said with a sigh as he shut the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry for the wait. Hope this makes up for it.

* * *

Margaret Scully hummed quietly to herself as she set the table for lunch. Rare were the times her daughter came to visit. Rarer still were the times that Fox Mulder joined them. Despite what her daughter had been through in the last several years, she couldn't help but have some affection for the rogue FBI agent. Fox respected Dana probably more than any man ever had. He looked her in the eye when he talked to her. He anticipated needs, understood her frustrations, and made her smile. Save for a few obvious flaws, he was the man Maggie would have picked for her daughter. Of course, trying to convince the two of that would be even less successful than understanding any words that came out of Charo's mouth.

She smiled as she heard the door open.

"Mulder, that's not what I said."

"Yes you did."

"I did not."

"Yes you did. You're attracted to Donald Trump."

"I am not. I just said that looks aside, money and success can be very attractive to some women."

"Okay then, looks aside, you're attracted to him."

"I'm not. Some women are. That's all I said."

"Admit it."

"Sure. I'll admit it when you admit your fond affection for Glenn Close."

"That will never happen."

"Then we are at an impasse."

Maggie chuckled as she came around the corner.

"The two most stubborn people in the world. You'll be at an impasse forever."

They both smiled and hugged her before following her into the other room.

"It smells amazing in here, Maggie."

"Thank you. I don't get to cook a big meal very often."

Mulder noticed the sad look exchanged between mother and daughter, but he didn't comment.

* * *

"Tell me, Scully. How did your dad not become morbidly obese?"

What?" she giggled, turning to face him.

"Your mother's cooking. If I ate that every day of my life, I would get really fat."

She smiled and stretched her legs out towards the fireplace. Maggie had fed them lunch then insisted they stay for dinner. She was in the other room now, doing the dishes, and the two of them were laying on the living room floor, watching the fire burn.

"I guess because they had four ravenous kids and mom and dad were lucky if they ever got a full meal."

"I see. They how come none of you guys are fat?"

"Metabolism like you wouldn't believe. I could probably eat more than you could, Mulder."

"Wanna bet?"

She groaned and patted her stomach.

"Not right now."

He chuckled and glanced over at her. He'd never noticed the small flecks of gold in her eyes. They way they caught the firelight reminded him of the Northern Lights.

"Mulder?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Ok, shoot."

"Not here. This is important and I don't want my mom to overhear anything. I need to talk to you first."

"Since when am I your go-to person instead of your mom?"

"How long have we been partners?" she countered with a smile. "It's just something I would rather have your opinion on. You're more objective on stuff like this."

"Would this stuff you're referring to have anything to do with your doctor's appointment the other day? The one you snuck off to and never told me anything about?"

"Yes, it would."

"Are you sick?"

"No, everything's fine. I just want to run something by you."

"You're worrying me."

"There's nothing to worry about, I promise. We'll talk on the way home, okay?"

He nodded and ran his thumb across her forehead.

"As long as you're alright."

"I am."

They shared a smile and she scooted a little closer to him.

"We should have weekends like this more often."

"Yeah. Especially the pie part."

She yawned and let her eyes close.

"Scully, are you going to sleep on me?"

"No, I'm going to sleep on the floor."

He snickered and jostled her a little bit.

"Should we head home?"

"Yeah, probably."

He helped her stand up, then pulled her into a hug.

"You know what?" he asked, tipping her chin up so she could look at him.

"What?"

"I'm glad we're friends again. I thought it would never happen."

She nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. The last year and a half had almost ended their partnership, not to mention their friendship. They had come out of it stronger than before, but it had been hard, and she never wanted to relive it. They had grown closer in the past 2 months than they had in the previous 7 years.

"I know. Me too. Let's not do that again, okay?"

"You've got a deal."

* * *

"Okay, Scully, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Scully sighed slightly from her spot in the driver's seat. She'd been thinking about how to say this for a long time. So far, blurting it out was the only thing that came to mind, but she knew how he would take that. Badly.

"Okay. You know I went to the doctor on Thursday."

"Yes. But you said you're okay."

"I am. I didn't go for a check-up. I went... well, you remember, I told you I was going to need a second opinion."

He looked confused for a moment before the realization hit him.

"You went to a fertility specialist."

"Yeah, I did."

"Was it good news?"

"Yes. He said that if I start soon, there's a good chance that I could get pregnant."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Scully, that's amazing. It is what you wanted, right?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Then why do you look so sad?"

"I'm not. There's just more I need to tell you."

"Okay."

"Alright. Now you took biology and you know that it kinds of takes more than one person to make this thing work."

"I seem to recall that, yes."

"And I may like to sometimes refer to myself as superwoman, but I can't do this alone."

"You need a donor."

"Yeah."

"Okay. Do you want me to help you? We can go through the big book of dudes together and we'll pick out a nice doctor or lawyer or baseball player to anonymously provide you with assistance."

"Mulder, I don't want you to help me pick the donor. I want you to be the donor," she said quickly. Mulder's only response was silence and a sagging jaw.

"Now I see why you insisted on driving," he finally dead-panned.

"I'm sorry to be so blunt about it," she apologized in her classic "I'm about to ramble" voice. "I just... I was sitting there in the doctor's office and I just kept thinking about my options, and this kept popping into my head. I don't want you to feel pressured to say yes, because I won't hold it against you if you say no. I'm actually kind of expecting a no. But whatever you decide, whatever involvement you decide to have, this child will be a part of my life, and therefore a part of yours. And I need you to accept that. And I know that this is kind of a weird thing to ask you and maybe it's totally inappropriate, but I really needed to ask you this. I want you to be a part of it either way. And I want you to think about it for a while too. I know your natural inclination is to say yes, because you like to make me happy, but I don't want you to say yes if you don't really want to. And I need to know that you're going to be there for me and be my friend, no matter what. Okay?"

"I'll always be your friend, Scully. You know that. But the rest of this, I'm going to have to think about."

"Okay, take your time. But not too long, because we are kind of on a time constraint here."

"I just need a few days."

"Okay. Thank you for thinking about it."

They were quiet for the rest of the drive.

* * *

A/N II: Okay, I think we all know what happens next... but there are still some gaps to be filled. YAY!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: It appears that I am a posting fanatic today. Had to get it out of my system.

* * *

It had taken him a good five days to finally answer her question. During that time, they didn't speak. She wanted to give him space to decide. So when he finally showed up at her apartment in the middle of the afternoon and told her that "the answer is yes," she was almost too floored to react appropriately. All she could do was hug him and be clinical about the rest of it. She never even said thank you.

That thought finally struck her the night before the procedure. They were sitting in her living room in silence, either extremely awkward or exceptionally comfortable. The TV was playing some inane sitcom, but neither one of them really felt like changing it.

"Mulder?" she asked finally, in the smallest voice she had ever used.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"You know for what."

He chuckled.

"Well then. Right back at you."

"Me? For what?"

"For wanting me to do this with you. It means a lot."

She smiled and turned back to the TV.

"Hey Scully?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you nervous?"

She giggled a little.

"Like you wouldn't believe. You?"

"Oh yeah."

"Mulder, what if this doesn't work?" she asked suddenly, quietly.

"Don't think about it."

"I have to. What happens to us?"

"We'll be fine, Scully. We'll get through it, no matter what happens."

"Are you sure?"

"I did think about it a lot."

"You're right," she agreed, nodding.

"Wait, say that again."

She giggled as he reached over to hug her.

"You need to relax, okay?"

"I don't think I can."

"Sure you can. All you need is your favorite pajamas, fluffy pillows, and your wool socks. See, you're getting tired just thinking about it."

"Do you want to go with me tomorrow?"

"Do you want me to go?"

"I don't know. I mean, I think you have every right to be there, but I'm not sure I want you there. It's not exactly something we do every day."

"No, it's not."

"And really, you'd just sit in the waiting room. If you want to be there, then I want you there."

"I think me being there is just going to stress you out more."

"I'm not stressed out."

"Yes you are, and you don't need to be. You shouldn't be."

"What do you mean I shouldn't be? It's kind of a big deal."

"It is a big deal. But the more relaxed you are, the better chance we have of it working."

"How do you know that?"

"I did a little research last week."

"You did?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"Yeah. I wanted to go into this the Scully way- all my questions answered, even the ones I didn't know I had."

"You could have talked to me."

"I know that."

"There probably are some things that we should talk about."

"Such as?"

"You're actually asking me that? It's not apparent to you?"

"Well, I don't know what concerns you have."

"What kind of parents are we going to be?"

"Scully, you don't need to worry about that yet."

"Okay, well how involved are you going to be? I only expect as much as you're comfortable with, but I don't know what that is."

"Scully, I'm not going to drift in and out of your life, or only be involved in moments of crisis. I'm in it for the long haul. You don't have to worry about that. Okay? Did you expect any less when you picked me?"

"No."

"Well then, there you go. And as far as how you and I are going to work together on this, I don't know yet. That's something we're going to have to discuss over a long period of time. Okay?"

"I know."

"Don't worry about it so much."

"Mulder, I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but I worry. About everything."

"No! Really?" he retorted. She smacked his arm and giggled. "Scully, everything is going to be fine. It's the teen years you really have to worry about anyway."

"Gee thanks."

"Why don't you go to bed? You haven't been sleeping well lately."

"That's not nice to point out to a lady."

"What lady?"

That earned him another punch to his arm.

"Scully, you do realize that any child parented by the two of us is probably going to have each of our bad habits?"

"I don't have bad habits."

"Oh yeah, you're right."

He stood from the couch and held his hand out to her.

"Where are we going?"

"You're going to bed."

"And what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to check all your windows and your door and then I am going to go home."

He saw a flicker of something unidentifiable in her eyes but it passed before he could really study it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying to you. Nothing's wrong," she said, smiling as she swung their joined hands between them. "I'm going to bed. Say goodnight before you leave."

She left him standing in the middle of the living room, wondering what had gotten into her. He'd been wondering that a lot in the past week, but realized it was probably the extra hormones the doctor had her taking. Sighing to himself, he checked that all of her windows were locked before going into her bedroom. She was laying down facing the door and she smiled when he walked in.

"Gonna buy me a security system for Christmas?"

"I'll get the Gunmen to make you one. Complete with security cameras."

"Don't joke."

He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Are you sure everything's okay? Do you want me to stick around for a little bit?"

Her sigh of hesitance gave him his answer.

"Let me lock the door and I'll be right back."

She grinned as he left the room. Sometimes he could read her so well, usually when she didn't want him to, and other times, when she really needed him to understand, he was totally clueless.

He came back into the room and lay down behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Scully?"

"Hmm?"

"All you need to do is ask me, okay?"

"I know. I just don't know what to say sometimes."

"Well, "Mulder I need you," wouldn't be a bad start."

"I can't say that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not 4."

"Neither am I, and I have no problem telling you when I need you."

"Okay, you're right."

"Scully, I don't know how things are going to go in the next few weeks, but no matter what happens, will you promise me two things?"

"Depends. What are they?"

"Keep talking to me, and let me take care of you."

"So basically what you're asking me to do is function without my best defense mechanisms."

"Basically."

"I'll try."

"Do or do not. There is no try."

"Alright Jedi Master. I'll do my best."

"Scares you doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does."

He smiled and kissed her cheek softly.

"Scully, when we met, did it ever cross your mind that we'd make it this far?"

"I didn't think I would make it past that first day. I didn't think I could keep up."

"I'm glad you did."

"Me too."

She grabbed his hand from where it rested on her hip and brought it more tightly around her.

"Don't leave me tonight."

"I won't. Go to sleep, Scully. I'll be here in the morning."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This chapter is going to take a weird little jog to left field, but that's just to set up the next few chapters. Don't get worried, I'm not that cheesy, they aren't that out of character. And I apologize for the overuse of the word "weird." I was too lazy to click on my thesaurus. Weird.  


* * *

That night as he watched her sleep, he allowed himself to dream.

He imagined the look on her face when the doctor would tell them that they were going to be parents. He smiled, thinking of her mood swings and strange cravings, and how he'd cater to it all, just to make her happy. He imagined her in her ninth month, still trying to get the laundry out of the bottom of the washer and not being able to bend that far. She would sit on the couch, propping a baby name book on her belly and whine at him to just _look_ at her list. She'd shake him awake from his spot on the couch to tell him that the baby was coming. She'd blame the pain on him, but cry when it was all over and she held their child for the first time. It would be a girl, and they would give her a frilly girly name like Lily or Charlotte. Their daughter would be healthy, have her mother's eyes and her fathers dark hair, and a temperament they would both blame on the other. The first few weeks would be hard and tiring, but they would get through it together. One her six-month birthday, their little frilly girl would have solid food for the first time. As their daughter examined the spoon with skepticism, Scully would announce "She's considering it. She'll let us know what she decides," as if their daughter was an executive. Her first word would be daddy, followed closely by mommy and cookie and no. She would walk before her first birthday, and would have her first overnight trip to grandmas at 18 months. They would watch her grow together and the three of them would be a family.

Eventually their little girl would be a preschooler, and then a kindergartener, and then she would be in elementary school, where the boys would chase her on the playground. The boys would never stop chasing her and by the time she was 16 every male in school would be scared of her father. Eventually she'd go off to college to become a lawyer and there she would meet her Prince Charming. They would get married and have lots of kids and live happily ever after.

Mulder smiled at the thought as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Scully had never been so nervous in her life. The doctor assured her that the procedure had been completed without any complications. Now they just had to wait to see if implantation occurred. She moved slowly and carefully as she pulled her coat on and headed out to the waiting room. Mulder was sitting in the far corner, the large stack of magazines next to him a testament to his long wait.

"Hey," he said as she approached. He stood up and went to her, tipping her chin up so she could look in his eyes. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. It's just... it's weird."

"Yeah, I know. I mean I don't really know, but I kind of get it."

She smiled as he took her hand.

"When does the doctor want you to come back?"

"He said he'll do a blood test in 2 weeks."

"2 weeks? That's a long time."

"I know. He said that a lot of times doctors will do a confirmation test earlier, but he feels that sometimes produces a false negative and then the mothers get distraught and they can actually lose a baby that they thought they didn't have. He likes to wait until implantation is established and all systems are go -his words not mine- before making a final declaration."

"Okay, so 2 weeks."

"He said to do everything as I normally would, just no field work."

"Good. Ready to go home?"

* * *

The next two weeks crept by at something that would be a snails pace when it grew up. Scully was restless. She wanted to find out if the procedure had worked, but she was also dreading it. With a 20 percent success rate, it was hard to have hope that things would work out. She would sometimes catch Mulder watching her and realize that he wanted this just as much as she did. And he wanted it all. They had several discussions on how to raise a child, and how they would share responsibilities equally. At first she thought that he would just move in with her, but he had other plans.

_"Let's get married," he'd said one night as they watched TV._

_"What?" she asked, lifting her head from its spot on his shoulder._

_"You heard me."_

_"Mulder-"_

_"Just hear me out. Let's say you go into labor and there are complications. And maybe you can't make decisions about what to do, but I can't make decisions for you because I'm just the father, I'm not the next of kin. And something has to be done soon, and the doctors make the decision and it's not the one you wanted. If we were married, we could avoid all that confusion. And speaking of confusion, how is our child going to explain that his or her parents are not married, but they're not divorced, but they do live together and they do get along, but they're not together? That doesn't even make sense."_

_"Mulder-"_

_"And what about us, Scully? How do I introduce you? This is Dana, the mother of my child? I don't like that."_

_"Mulder."_

_"What?"_

_"You don't get married for reasons like that."_

_"I thought you like practicality."_

_"Your practicality is a little far fetched."_

_"Oh."_

_"Now if you had said that you wanted to marry me because you loved me and you wanted the three of us to be a family, that would be something to discuss."_

_She returned her head to his shoulder. These hormones were making her awfully bold._

_"Maybe I thought you wouldn't believe that."_

_"You thought wrong."_

_He was quiet for a long time. Finally, he cleared his throat and began to speak._

_"I want to marry you. I love you and I want us to be a family."_

_"Okay."_

_"Okay what?"_

_"Okay, now this is something we can talk about."_

_"Alright."_

_"Would you want to marry me even if there was no baby involved?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Then how come you never said anything before?"_

_"Because we've never been in a place where we could even entertain the idea, much less have an actual discussion about it."_

_"This is officially the strangest conversation we've ever had."_

_"No, I believe the strangest one was "Hey, want to be the father of my baby." This is a close second."_

_She laughed a little and sat up so she could look at him._

_"Mulder, I love you. But being married is just... I don't know, it just doesn't seem like something that could ever be real. I don't think you and I could exactly live like we're on the Donna Reed show."_

_"Of course not. You'd look terrible in those dresses."_

_"Mulder..."_

_"I know, marriage would be a weird thing for us. Especially since most people date before getting married and having a baby."_

_"That's true."_

_"But didn't you confess to me that you wanted the whole package?"_

_"Yeah, I did. But that was years ago."_

_"You still want it, Scully. And you can have it."_

_"You know, when I was younger and I would think about getting married, it always involved more... fireworks and candlelit dinners and kissing and diamond rings and-"_

_"You didn't count on it sounding like a field report."_

_"No."_

_He nodded and turned back to the TV, thinking the conversation was over. After 20 minutes of silence she finally stood up from the couch with her hands on her hips._

_"Okay Mulder, let's do it."_

_"What?"_

_"Let's get married. Maybe we're not romantic, and maybe there's no horse-drawn carriage, but we love each other, and we would be getting married for the same reasons that other people do. Besides, once in my life I'm going to do something totally crazy and unpredictable, and I want to do that with you."_

_"Really?"_

_He was completely shocked. He had expected her to laugh him off or make some joke about a shot-gun wedding. But to have her say that she would marry him?_

_"We love each other, right? And we've always said we're going to be stuck together forever. I mean, you already picked out our retirement home. And maybe this isn't the traditional way to do things, but we never do things the traditional way, and they always work out. We don't have to figure out how this is going to work right now, either. We can get married and have a baby and figure everything out as we go along. Give me one good reason why not."_

_"Uh... because your brother would kill me?"_

_"He's not allowed to kill family members."_

_"What if your hormones are talking?"_

_"Then I'll sleep on it and decide in the morning."_

_"This is a weird conversation, Scully."_

_"You started it."_

_"Do you really, honestly want to marry me?"_

_"Yeah," she said with a smile. "I think I do."_

_"You look like that surprises you."_

_"I'm surprised that I admitted it to you before I admitted it to myself."_

_"We're certainly unconventional."_

_"Yeah, we are."_

_They settled back into the couch quietly._

It seemed so long ago as she though back on it, but it had only been three days ago. Now he was sitting across the table from her, a blank marriage certificate between them.

"So? Still want to do it."

"I said I did, Mulder. I still do. I just can't believe you got one of these so fast."

"We don't have to do this right away, Scully."

"What if I wanted to?"

"What?"

"Our appointment is in four days. Let's break that news to my mom before we get married. I don't want her to keel over from two surprises in one day. So after the appointment we can go over there and tell her, and then we can decide when to do this."

"Are you sure? You really want to marry me? For certain?"

"Yeah, I do. I know it was kind of rushed when we talked about this before, but I've been thinking about it a lot, and I keep coming to the same conclusion. I want to marry you."

He had tears in his eyes as he stood up from the table and crouched down in front of her.

"And I want to marry you too."

Her smile came quickly and he leaned up and kissed her. She kissed him back, pulling him a little closer and running her fingers through his hair.

"Mulder?"

"Hmm?"

"Is there a psychological term for emotional overload?"

He chuckled and pulled her into a hug.

"Come on, Scully. You need to lay down."

She followed him to her bedroom where he'd already turned down the covers and fluffed her pillows.

"Tomorrow is Saturday. I expect you to get up no earlier than 9. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Good."

He pulled the blankets over her and kissed her again.

"Sleep good. Call me if you need anything."

"You're leaving?"

"The couch calls my name."

"Please stay here."

"Scully, I'm not tired yet. I'll toss and turn and you need your rest, okay?"

"Alright. But leave my door open."

"I will. Goodnight."

"Night."

She was quiet for a minute, then sat up and called for him.

"Yes?" he asked, coming to stand in her doorway.

"Will you take out the trash?"

"Now?"

"No. When we're married. Will you take out the trash?"

"I suppose I could do that. Any other questions?"

"What side of the bed are you going to sleep on? Are you even going to sleep in a bed or are you just going to sleep on the couch? Do you expect me to make you dinner and do the laundry and the dishes all the time? Because I have no problem with that, but is it what you want? Maybe you want to do the dishes. Which way do you prefer the toilet paper to be put on the roll? Can you run fast enough to avoid Bill when he finds out or am I going to be a widow? I don't know how to file a joint tax-return. Should we share a checking account? What about a savings account? And credit cards, what do you think about credit cards? What are the Gunmen going to think? Do you like 2% milk or something else? Coke or Pepsi? Who's going to do the shopping? Will you remember our anniversary? What if this doesn't work out? What if we can't live together? What if I want another dog and you hate dogs and you won't let me have one but I really want one? What then, Mulder? And what if we're both getting ready in the morning and you have to brush your teeth and I have to brush mine, but we can't do it at the same time? And what about when I get PMS-y and I yell at you and we get in a huge fight? What if I want to watch one TV show and you want to watch another one? Mulder, how do you fold your towels?"

His eyebrows raised at her speech and he just stood there for a moment.

"I don't fold towels, I usually just shove them in the drawer."

"You might have to change that."

"I figured. Scully, all this stuff is just silly. You don't need to worry about it right now. And I'm tired of telling you not to worry. Okay?"

"Alright. I'll stop."

"Good," he said, kissing her again. "Now go to sleep."

"Thank you, Mulder. Good night."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: One or two more chapters after this. The fact that this story had 1,013 words upon upload was just a kick in the pants. I've damaged that count now, but at one time....

* * *

25 hours until the appointment. Scully sighed and looked at the clock for the fourth time in the last 10 minutes. To say she was getting impatient would be an understatement.

"Scully?"

"Hmm?"

"Something wrong?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You keep looking at the clock."

"I know. I can't concentrate. I want to go home."

"Then go."

"Mulder it's only 3. I can't leave right now."

"Sure you can. Go home and relax and I'll bring dinner in a few hours."

She sighed and looked at the clock again.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You're no good to me here anyway," he teased. She smiled and gathered her stuff before walking over to his desk.

"I'll take care of dinner tonight, okay?" she said, ruffling his hair.

He nodded as she slipped her coat on.

"What time will you be home?"

"Around 5:30 unless something comes up. I'll let you know."

"Okay. See you later."

She left the office with a little grin and he sat back in his chair and sighed. Something was weird. Something was off.

_"What time will you be home?"_ she'd asked. Home. Not "What time will you be over," or "What time should I expect you," but "What time will you be home?" As in, her place. Like he lived there or something. True, he hadn't really been to his own apartment much in the last two weeks, but he wanted to be there for her if she needed anything. He wanted for her to get used to him being there all the time. Apparently she had.

He chuckled a little as he thought of just how comfortable they'd gotten with each other. They went grocery shopping together. They cuddled on the couch every night. They brushed their teeth together. He'd even caught himself with his hand on her stomach last night.

Maybe it wasn't comfortable so much as it was domesticated.

He chuckled and looked at his watch. 3:30. Maybe it was time to go home.

* * *

"Mulder, can we talk?" Scully asked as she sat down on the couch next to him. He turned the TV off and set his attention to her.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not really," she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I'm just worried about tomorrow. What if it didn't work?"

"Don't think about that."

"I have to think about it. What will we do?"

"Scully..."

"Mulder, I need you to talk to me about this."

"I want this as bad as you do, okay? I don't want to think about it not happening."

She sighed and reached for his hand.

"I just need to know. Are you going to shut me out?"

"Scully, I don't-"

"Yes you do. Are you going to do it this time?"

"I won't if you won't."

"Okay. It's a deal."

He pulled her over to his side of the couch and kept his arms around her as she began to relax.

"You really want this, Mulder?"

"You think I don't?"

"I think if you didn't you wouldn't tell me."

"I really do want this. The whole package. I wouldn't make a donation for just anyone, you know."

"You're so romantic I can't breathe," she dead-panned, rolling her eyes.

"I love you, remember?" he asked, as simply as if love was enough.

"I know."

"I want you to stop questioning that okay? It's not going to change."

"It's just new."

"It's not that new. I've loved you for a heck of a long time."

"I know that. I guess it's just going to be hard to adjust to the domesticity of the situation."

"I'll agree with you there."

She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"I need to go to bed Mulder."

"Want me to leave?"

"Not particularly."

"Alright. I'll be out here if you need me."

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning down to kiss him. She smiled slightly when they parted, then headed off to her bedroom.

* * *

"Sir, I can't! I have an appointment today and I need to leave early."

Scully looked up from the expense report she was typing and tried to read Mulder's expression. It didn't take much work.

"Sir, I--- But I can't--- Fine, I'll be there."

He hung the phone up and flopped down on his chair.

"Gee, is something wrong?"

"I have to report to Skinner at 4."

"But... our appointment's at 4. We have to leave in a few minutes."

"I tried to get him to change it, but he wouldn't."

"Can't you just pretend you forgot?"

Her voice was growing slightly more panicky than she would have liked.

"There are going to be serious repercussions if I don't go. I'm sorry sweetheart," he said walking over to her chair to hug her. "I really want to be there."

"I really want you there."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Mulder. I'll just meet you at home afterwards, okay?"

"Okay. You'd better get going. Don't want to be late."

"Actually I do, if you know what I mean."

"I thought that was coming."

She grinned and he helped her up, then went back to his side of the desk and watched her put her coat on.

"I'll see you in a few hours."

"Hey, come here," he said crooking his finger at her.

She smiled and walked towards him, perching on the side of his desk.

"Yes?"

"How are you feeling?"

She sighed.

"To be honest I would give anything for a lucky rabbits foot right now."

He chuckled and pulled her closer.

"Kiss for luck?"

Checking over her shoulder for prying eyes in the hallway, she leaned down and kissed him quickly. He held her for a moment longer and she let her fingers wander through his hair while they synchronized their breathing. After a moment he gently kissed her stomach and released her.

"I love you, Scully."

"I love you too."

"Drive safely."

"I will."

And with that she was out the door.

* * *

A/N: And what happens next? The best forehead kiss of all time, of course!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: You know how much snow is piled up around my car right now? About 5 feet. You know where I live? Not Alaska. And because I have absolutely no interest in snow sports, this is not fair. That is all.

A/N later that same day: It is now 45 degrees outside and the great thaw is underway. Boo-yah.

* * *

Scully sat quietly by the window, staring outside. She'd been doing that a lot lately. Mulder knew she was watching kids play in the park across the street, but he didn't have the heart to close the blinds. She hadn't left the apartment in 3 days, and she didn't like him to leave either.

That first night had been terrible. She'd been able to hold it together for quite a while, even sleep for an hour. When she woke, she'd started crying, as if she suddenly began to realize what had happened. He'd never seen her cry like that before, never felt her cling to him so tightly.

"It's not fair," she mumbled over and over again. "It's just not fair!"

He'd rocked her back and forth, letting a few of his own tears fall while trying to calm hers.

"I'm sorry," she'd said finally, turning to look at him.

"For what, honey?"

"You wanted this and I couldn't give it to you."

"That's not your fault. This happened because of things that were done to you. You did everything you could. We both did."

"We shouldn't have."

"What do you mean?"

"We shouldn't have done this. I should have known it wasn't going to work. I shouldn't have made you go through this either. I should have just done it on my own."

"Don't say that. I wouldn't have wanted you to do this any other way. I'm glad you chose me, Scully. I wish it didn't turn out this way, but I wouldn't have changed the last few weeks for anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

They were quiet for a long time as her tears started to subside.

"I wanted to have a baby with you."

"I know, sweetheart. I wanted us to have a baby too."

"I let myself think that it would happen. I planned where I was going to put the crib and the rocking chair and what color I would paint the walls."

"I thought of names. I researched school districts. I looked at houses."

"Oh Mulder," she whimpered, brushing the tears off of his face.

"We'll try again, Scully."

"It's too expensive, Mulder. And I couldn't handle it if it didn't work a second time."

"Don't worry about the money part. And don't make a final decision now, okay?"

"Alright."

"Why don't you lay down and try to get some rest?"

She nodded.

"Will you lay down too?"

"Sure."

He climbed under the covers with her and pulled her close to him.

"I love you, Scully. You know that, right?"

"I know. I love you too."

He kissed her gently and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Go to sleep, honey."

* * *

That was the last real conversation they had had. She didn't touch him, she barely looked at him, and the only time she uttered a word was to beg him not to leave. He would have been getting irritated, but he didn't feel much like talking either. He tried to get her to eat, and sometimes she would have a few bites of toast or oatmeal before sighing and leaving the table. He was afraid she was going to make herself sick. So he made what was probably the worst move he could have. He called her mother.

After giving Maggie a shortened version of the events, and asking her to come and tend to her daughter, he hung up the phone.

_Nice move pal. She's going to hate you for this,_ his mind taunted. He sighed and stood from the couch, heading into the bedroom.

"Scully?"

"Hmm?"

"I called your mom."

"What?"

"You're not eating, sweetheart. You're going to get sick and I don't know what to do for you anymore."

"I don't need my mother!" she yelled, sitting up on the bed and moving away from him. "I needed you!"

"Honey, this isn't working. I want to help you but I'm not doing a good job."

"I didn't want my mom to know, and you had no right telling her."

"Scully, I didn't know what else to do."

There was a small silence.

"I need you to leave."

"Scully."

"I have too much to work through. I don't know how I feel about the baby, I don't know how I feel about us. Mulder, we changed our relationship on the pretense that there would be a child involved, and now... it's a lot to process and I think I need to do it alone."

"Scully, please don't do this."

"I'm not going to leave you, Mulder. That's not what this is about. The world as I know it just ended and I can't quite accept that."

"I know that feeling."

"I love you, Mulder. I just want us to be okay, and I think the best way to do that is for us to go about this in our own separate ways."

It broke his heart, but he knew she was right. They needed their time apart. When it came right down to it, they were both rather spacious people, and no matter how connected they were, they always needed some time apart to deal with things.

"How long are you going to need?"

"A few weeks."

"Scully... Christmas is in 5 days."

"I know. But I can't... I just don't want to think about that right now."

He hugged her as hard as he could and she hugged him back, sniffling.

"Can we make a deal, Scully?"

"Sure."

"If you don't call me by New Years, I'm coming over here. Okay?"

"Alright."

"And if you need anything, you let me know. Even if you just want me to come and sit with you for a while. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you want me to go now?"

"I think that would be best."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her lips.

"I love you sweetheart."

"I love you too."

One last kiss and he was gone.

* * *

A/N II: I am the queen of abrupt endings.


	9. Chapter 9

Spoilers: A good knowledge of Millennium would be advantageous.

A/N: Thought I would type this up and get it posted while I had time. It's going to be short and sappy and predictable, but I don't care.

* * *

"The world didn't end," he commented with a smile.

"No, it didn't," she agreed. She could read his eyes. He wasn't talking about Y2K or the upheaval of American industry. He was talking about them. Their world hadn't ended. They were both still here.

"Happy New Year, Scully."

"Happy New Year, Mulder."

They walked to her car in silence and slid in on opposite sides. She started the car and headed for her apartment.

"Scully?"

"Hmm?"

"How... um, how was your Christmas?" he stuttered.

"Quiet. It was just me and mom this year. It was kind of nice. What did you do?"

"I was with the Gunmen. A word of advice- eggnog is a dangerous thing when consumed by Frohike."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'll spare you the details."

"I appreciate it."

They smiled and each other and fell into a familiar silence until they reached her apartment.

She led him upstairs and unlocked the door.

"Sit down on the couch, I want to check your bandages."

"Scully."

"Please?"

He nodded and sat down and she retrieved her doctor's bag -or little bag of horrors, as Mulder called it. She made quick work of checking his wounds, her fingers light and cold on his skin.

"Looks good. How does it feel?"

"It burns a little. Whatever pain killer they gave me is working pretty well though."

"Must be. You're not drowsy or puking."

"Maybe it's magic."

She chuckled a little and he tipped her chin up to look at her.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too, Mulder."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm better than I thought I would be. Some days it's still hard."

"Do you want to try again?"

"If we could, I would think about it. I'm not sure if that's an option anymore, really."

"So we'll cross that bridge later?"

"Yeah."

"Alright."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. I didn't think about it too much. I just missed you a lot. It made me realize that I really hate being without you."

"I'll echo that sentiment," she agreed with a smile.

"Did you think about us?"

"A little."

"Come to any conclusions?"

"Not really. But I know that I love you, and that I'll do anything to keep us together."

"Do you still want to move in that direction?"

She nodded.

"Very slowly and carefully, but yes."

He smiled, and with his good arm, pulled her from the coffee table onto his lap. She giggled and settled in close to him.

As he leaned down and kissed her, she knew that it would be a new year for them. Sure, there was a lot to talk about, a lot to get used to, but it was the two of them together. That's what mattered. That's what needed to endure. The two of them.

* * *

A/N II: A big sigh of relief and a proud exclamation of "The End!" I know it left a little... loosey-goosey, but that is the way of the 'files, yo. Thanks for taking this little ride with me!


End file.
